Sep 09, 2026

Israel News Today: Election Slates Submitted as Israel Bars UK Lawmakers Over Settlement Sanctions

Parties submitted their final candidate lists for the October 27 election, with Likud filing a 35-person slate headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel announced it will bar 11 British MPs and a lawyer from entering the country in response to the UK's sanctions on West Bank settlements, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington "obviously" will not join those sanctions.

Election Slates Submitted Ahead of Deadline

More than 30 parties registered with the Central Elections Committee before the deadline, The Times of Israel reported. Likud submitted its 35-person list hours before the cut-off, headed by Netanyahu and followed by Energy Minister Eli Cohen, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, according to The Times of Israel.

Israel Bars 11 British MPs Over UK Sanctions

The Foreign Ministry published a list of 12 British elected officials and citizens who will be barred from entering Israel in response to the UK's sanctions package against West Bank settlements, The Times of Israel reported. The list includes 11 members of parliament and a lawyer, Fahad Ansari.

Rubio: US Will Not Join UK Settlement Sanctions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington "obviously" will not join the UK and 11 other Western countries in barring trade with West Bank settlements, while stressing the need for stability in the territory, The Times of Israel reported.

Emirati Source: Netanyahu Was Warned Before October 7

An Emirati source confirmed to The Times of Israel a Haaretz report that days before the October 7, 2023 attack, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed personally warned Netanyahu in a phone call that Hamas was planning a major attack against Israel, The Times of Israel reported.

IDF to Open "Unmanned Systems and AI" Branch

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announced that the military will soon inaugurate a new "unmanned systems and artificial intelligence" branch. "The battlefield is changing at a dizzying pace, and we are changing with it," he said at a Navy officers' graduation ceremony, according to The Times of Israel.

Police Disperse Haredi Protest Against Jerusalem Light Rail

Police used tear gas and a water cannon to disperse hundreds of Haredi men protesting at Jerusalem's Bar Ilan and Yirmiyahu streets against the planned expansion of the light rail to the area, The Times of Israel reported.